The Melting Man

Kermode stopped at the table by O'Dowda. O'Dowda ignored him and looked at me, gun in his hand still.

He said, 'Feeling nervous, boyo? You think I don't know you? You're playing a bluff right up to the last moment, hoping to get some advantage. I could even like you for it. You've got guts, all right. You sit there, smiling, but you're sweating inside.'

I said, 'You're the one who's nervous. You know you've been out-smarted, but you don't want to face the moment. Go on, open it. I want to see your face as you do.'

O'Dowda tapped the table for Kermode to put the parcel down. As he did so, O'Dowda handed him the gun.

'Keep that Anglo-Saxon bastard covered,' he said.

He was too late. As the gun rested between their two hands, butt towards Kermode, I jerked out the pistol and began to fire as it came up from near ground level. I went for Kermode's legs, hoping to make him fall. As I pumped away I was on my feet and moving for them. My aim was something that would have made Miggs spit with contempt. I saw wood-chips fly off the far leg of the table as the slugs smacked into it, saw Kermode moving fast, swinging the gun round, and saw O'Dowda throw up a fat hand to protect his face against the flying chips, and then the god of battles — who often makes up his mind far too late to be of any help in a just cause — came up trumps for once. Still firing, I swung the pistol left to get Kermode's legs and the movement made me fire high. The lead slugs smashed into the bottles of champagne that stood on the table and they went off like bombs. Froth spouted high, spraying over O'Dowda and Kermode. Shards of glass whined through the air viciously. I saw a red streak suddenly appear down the side of Kermode's face. Despite himself, he raised his gun-hand to it and by then I was in among them. I grabbed at the gun, got it, and wrenched it round until he had to let go to save his arm from being broken. It came free in my hand and I kicked out at his feet and he went down, thudding into the table, sending glass, broken bottles and parcel flying.

By the time they had sorted themselves out, I was standing ten yards back from them, pistol in my pocket, parcel in one hand, and their gun in the other.

O'Dowda, who had been knocked backwards, picked himself up and stood shaking his head and rubbing at his eyes. Kermode sat on the floor, face wincing with pain, grabbing at one of his legs — in the last second a couple of stray slugs must have got him. An ugly line of blood ran down his face from a glass cut.

Suddenly O'Dowda came out of his shock. He looked at me, his face purpling and he roared, 'You bastard! By Jasus…' He started to come for me, crashing through the wreckage of the table. I fired at his feet, obliquely. The bullet hit the stone floor and ricocheted away, thudding into the stomach of the policeman effigy. It tottered and then fell to the floor.

O'Dowda pulled up fast.

'You come a step farther, O'Dowda,' I said, 'and I'll let you have one where the bobby just got his.'

He teetered there, mad with frustration, and it was touch and go whether he came on. Then he saw wisdom and moved back a little and looked down at Kermode.

'You useless sod. I told you to keep him covered.'

Kermode didn't say anything. Buddies they might be but he still knew when not to argue with his master.

I said, 'Don't fuss, Kermode. You can pick the pellets out with some tweezers later. Just get on your feet and sit somewhere where I can see you. And that goes for you, O'Dowda. Sit down somewhere and keep your hands in the open.'

They did it slowly, under protest, but they did it.

I stood there, watching them dispose of themselves, and I was feeling good. I had O'Dowda exactly where I wanted him. And I was human. I had to tell him so. It was a pity, but there it was. I just had to tell him. It would have been better if I had been magnanimous in victory and just cleared off. I should have stuck to action and left the preaching to others.

I held up the parcel. 'You were right, O'Dowda. I was bluffing. This is the genuine article. The blue films and a nice roll of tape that's political dynamite. How do you feel, master mind? King O'Dowda outwitted by one of the palace servants. O'Dowda, with men and money at his command; O'Dowda, who, if he wants a thing a certain way, fixes it that way and no expenses spared… How does it feel to sit there now, feeling the wind going out of you?'

I should have known better. It was schoolboy stuff. Gloating stuff. When you've got what you want, get out quick is the motto. I ought to have known that, but then, again, it wasn't often that I had a chance to cast myself for the role of boy David, or Jack the Giant-Killer, with a touch of Sir Galahad thrown in.

I began to back to the door, covering them.

'Know what I'm going to do with the parcel? I'm handing it over to Najib in exchange for Julia. No money, just a straight exchange. That means you'll never get a thumb in Gonwalla's pie, ever. Means, too, that I'll lose my fee from you, but it will be worth it. Oh, yes, it'll be worth it. Every time your name comes up somewhere, I'll have a little chuckle to myself. I'll think of the oversized O'Dowda that I put in the hot seat to melt down to size.'

He sat there and looked at me. He said nothing, but I knew that he was feeling a lot. Close to him Kermode, still shaken, dabbed at his face with a handkerchief. Behind them, on their tall holders the candles flickered around the giant, throned effigy of King O'Dowda, lording it over his once-rebellious subjects, over the people who had thwarted him, or tried to out-cheat him from cheating them.

Then he said, 'One of these days, I'll get you, Carver.'

I backed to the wall by the door. 'Oh no you won't. The moment I'm gone, you'll want to forget me. You'll make a good job of it, too. You'll bribe your memory to make it a blank. But every so often it will come back.'

'Get the hell out of here!' He bellowed it at me.

'Gladly, O'Dowda.'

I tucked the parcel under my gun-arm and reached behind me for the wall knobs, found them, and pressed the one to open the door.

Nothing happened.

I pressed again. Still nothing happened. I pressed the other knob in case I had got them mixed up. Nothing happened.

Stupidly, I said, 'The damned door won't open.'

O'Dowda with a flicker of new interest said, 'That's your problem, boyo.'

To Kermode, I said, 'These are the pushes, aren't they?'

O'Dowda said, 'They are.'

I tried them again. Still nothing happened Just then there was a crackle from the loudspeaker over the door, and Durnford's voice came booming into the room. He sounded in good spirits as he announced a servant's farewell to a well-hated master.

'Be happy in there, you bastards! I'm glad to think that I shan't see any of you again. Goodbye — and the devil take you!'

'Durnford,' I shouted.

The loudspeaker gave a click and went dead.

'How the hell could he do it?' I asked.

Kermode said, 'He's pulled the main fuses from outside.'

"The doors are inch steel. You couldn't force them, Carver. You're stuck.' O'Dowda had begun to sound happy.

The man's mad.'

'I'm inclined to agree. What the hell does he think this will achieve? Not that I care.' O'Dowda smiled. 'I'm just content to know that you're not away yet, Carver.'

After victory never preach. I could have been out of the place if I had kept my mouth shut.

I moved away from the door, covering them.

'I'm going to be very nervous if either of you two makes a move.'

I went slowly round the room. All the windows were closed barred on the outside. The glass could have been smashed but no one could ever have squeezed between the bars. Keeping the two men in view, I went up as far as the curtained throne and looked behind. There was no other door leading out of the room. I went back to the main door and sat down.